History

Commemoration theme

• Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site of Canada commemorates the importance of immigration to Canada, particularly via the entry port of Québec, from the early 19th century to the First World War.
• Grosse Île also commemorates the tragic events experienced by the Irish immigrants at this site, primarily during the typhoid epidemic of 1847.
• The commemoration on this site is also based on the role the island played from 1832-1937 as a quarantine station for the Port of Québec, long the main port of arrival for immigrants to Canada.
• Finally, Grosse Île bears witness to the work of Dr. Frederick Montizambert in the field of preventative medicine and public health in Canada.

Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site of Canada was twinned on May 25, 1998 with the National Famine Museum of Strokestown Park in Ireland. Even if separated by thousands of kilometres, these two heritage sites tell, in their own way, the same story: Grosse Île, land of hope for thousands of Irish immigrants who left their native land.